Pakistani jets pound militants close to capital

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Pakistani jets and attack helicopters struck Taliban positions in mountains close to the capital Tuesday as part of a widening offensive against militants spreading out from the lawless region along the border with Afghanistan, the military said.

With residents reporting ground troops also moving into the Buner area, the operation could allay worry in the U.S. and other Western nations that nuclear-armed Pakistan lacks the will to fight extremists in the northwest, where al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden is thought to be hiding.

The attack stands to further strain a shaky peace deal in the Malakand region, which Buner is a part of. The truce has been widely viewed in the West as a surrender to the militants and a sign Pakistan's shaky civilian government does not recognize the threat they pose.

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http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090428/ap_on_re_as/as_pakistan

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090428/ap_on_re_as/as_pakistan